Portable clamp-socket



a. ,0. MHCHEU.. PORTABLE CLAMP SOCKET. I y APPLICATION FILED FEB. 15, 1918.

ligoylg i Patena'lvov. 23,1920.

. 4 To all @ehem concern l notam) c. rifrrenent, or emanan, ve atnepitiful l i -a- .citizen .of "the lUnited?States, 'residing at Oakland, in the county of 'Alameda `and State Lof' California, have invented v certain f 'new and useful Innprover'nent's'in Portable I Clamp- Sockets, ofrvhich the following is av 'specication This invention relates, to new and useful improvements .in 'portable` clamp sockets,l and the primary object ofthe invention is ture of the character-mentioned, which, .by

reason of itspeculiarl shape, Carr be advantageously used in the A Wiring y of; trenches, tunnels, and the ,likel for illuminationysaid `fixture being of a shape that W'ill permitA the pulling ofthe sameover'and throughsuch erations diilicult and lengthy.`

obstructions as may beencountered during the Stringing ofthe line Wires through a trench, tunnel, 'or the like, Without'the lia,l `bility of .catching in "said bstruc.t i ons,4 and 'in 4,this vWay rendering the.-stri'ngmgfop` Another object of the inventionfis to pro vide'ga device of this character `which is easily and simply constructed, .inexpensive i to manufacture, and one vvhich Will yloe very features ofv construction, combination'. and

efficient in operation. f `llVith` these and Vnumerous other obJects 1n view,imy inventlon consists of the novel arrangement'o parts lwhich Will be herein referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specicat'ion andclaim.

In the? accompnaying dravvingsi Y Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device with the parte assembled,

Fig. .2' is a'plan view. with the clamping-1 plate removed,andy 4 l Fig. `3 is a transr'ferse sectionthrough the socket. Inidescribing my inventioml shall refer Vto .thedrawings in'which'similar reference characters. vdesignate corresponding partsl throughout.` the several views. The numeral 1 -designa-tee the base plate ot my nevvand improved portable socket,v

said plate being elongated or LI substantiallyfv4 vrectangular in shape andhaving its opposite ends tapered A and its opposite marginal p'or'tionsfiattened .as at 1v as' shown in 'theacoornpanying drawings.I `The plate `has connected therewith on its npperfsideahanging loop 2 to Ypermit the .same'fv'tofbe 'readily .secured in :position on the wall of the tunnel ortrench,

or support against which; the cable strung. .1 4, .'Theffront face of the 'baseplate 1,-',is ,pro-

'vided vvith` a'centrally disposed-enlarged chamber 3 thereinwhich `i`s counter/sunk, and said 4.chamberv has grooves `connecting f'diainetrically oppositev points-'thereo-With .the" opposite ends of the ffplate. y l grooves 4, are adapted to recei-'ve the cable 5 These Whichis of the conventional type ordinarily employed .in tunnels, l mines, ketc., and .the

lai'ged chamber 3. The outerV covering is removed from the cable'adjacent` the cham? ben-arid the conductor Wires are spread apart as clearly shown in Figf-Q of the draw- 1n s.

upwardly `extending spring. contact finger' 11 vthat is adapted, for Jengagement, with a lamp; The otherterminal 8 is provided with a binding post 12, and-an. extending portion 13 that issecured into engagementI y with. a curvedspringcontact finger 14 that is adapted to normally engage the Acenter 4portion of the lamp plug when the lamp .is in position as Will be-hereinafter more. fully described. j 1 4 l substantially yokeL` shaped,having abinding post 10, and an'- .75 `saidcablehas a pair of conductor Wires 6 and?, which arefpositioned Within the en l ositioned-iwithin thechaznber 1 are .ter-iA `1n1nals 8 and -9,the terminal 9 being' of the4 conventiona l. form,

The cable 5 anditsadjacentopen portion l is secured in position on the plate l, by j means of an outer clamping'plate 15, corresponding in shape and size to the basel yand having its opposite marginaLportionsflattened as' at 15 said plate havinga centrally disposed aperture 16 therethrough adapted rl for al-inement with the chamber 3. in the: plate l.' The openingr is' preferably provided With an internally threaded'liningl r vhaving a projecting lip 18 thereon, ,that is ipo.

adapted-for engagement with the spring i contac't'nger .11 when a lamp-19l is positioned through thefopening as clearly shown in Fig. 3I of the drawin s.

The tWo plates, name y, the base plate 1' and theclampingplate 15, areiadaptedlto.

be Vconnected together' by a pair of fastening'bolts- QOfthat extend through alining i j openings in said plates, and which have plate 1,5--may'be-detacliably positioned on the baseplate 1,.-to securelyhold the cable theirinner ends positioned in countersunk nuts 21 in the,V plate, 1. By this means,l the in position, and', the'v o )ening through said clamping' plate pernrts the incandescent lainpi1`9 to'bejpositioned in 'the socket. To

render the connection between the base 1 and the clamping plate fluid tighta rib is .formed on the inner side of the base at a pointl in proximity to the `marginal -portions` thereof, and is adapted to vbe reeeived .in al complement'ally formed groove in'the i adjacent side-o t'said clamping plate 15; it

of courselb'eing' understood in this connecytioirrt'hat suitable .formsof packing, if desired, 4canrbe arranged in the grooveto insure fluid tight connection between' the same #Theoperation of this type ofi-socket is easilyz-understood, and it is kobvious that" .with veryv little trouble, the socket may be applied .at any point on the deck cable.

When the llamp is i n position through the clamping plate, the spring finger 1'1 -will engage the projecting lip on the metal lining 17 that receives 'the plug of said lamp, while the center spring contact 14 will Aengage the bottom of the plug, thereby completing the circuit so that the lamp will light.,l This device is formed of indestructible water.-

Iprootmaterial otany desired kind, so that it 1Will not break when the cable is moved from place to place." There is a smallgroove- `base 1 and the clamping plate 15, it will be readilyfunderstood that the xture is renkdered especially useful in the Wiring of trenches, tunnels, and the like, for illuminat1on,.sn1ce the lines or wires can be pulled or drawn through or over the ground or other object without liability of catching in V debris, projections, or similar obstructions, the tapered ends of said' base and clamping plate serving to permit wedging of the fixtures therethrough while the flattened inar-` ginal portions afford elicient skid surfaces. Since, as a general rule, wiring ot the nature above statedl is but ot a temporary kind, it willbe appreciated that my novel iixture is especially advantageous `for use in this work. From the foregoing description of the construction, and operation ot my new and improved device, the manner ot applying the same to use and its operation will be readily understood` and it will be seen that l have provided a simple and efiicient device, and while I have, shown and described the device as embodying a s'peciiic structure, I desire that it be understood that such changes may be made in said structure as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new` `and desire to secure b v Letters Patent, is:

The combination with a two part insulator `casing constructed and arranged to form a chamber, of spaced screws carried in one part of said casing at one side of. the

-chamberwa contact shell in the other `part of the casing, conductor wires engaged with the screws, a substantially Y-shaped-member connected to one of the screws, a curved leaf spring finger -on one limb ot the Y- shaped member and engaged with the shell, a substantially U-shaped resilient terminal fixed at one end between the screws, and a connection between the other screw and said v fixed end at the terminal.

In testimony whereof l aflix my signature hereto.

RoLAND o. MITCHELL. 

